I know what Romance is
by wr1ter3bl0ck
Summary: A typical day at SPR after Naru returns from England. Mai is running late, Naru is annoyed, and the rest of the group are determined to make mischief. Oh, and Naru may let that emotionless facade slip.


Naru was aggressively sorting through a potential file, waiting for the rest of the organization to arrive for work. While technically only Lin, Mai, and Yasuhara were salaried employees, the others had a ridiculous habit of stopping by when the mood struck them. However, he was positive they would stop by this morning, as Mai had a date the previous evening.

He glanced at the clock again only to huff in annoyance. She was late. She had taken off early yesterday evening, and now she was late. Despite the fact that he wanted her happy in life, he greatly hoped the date had not gone well. Unfortunately, if she was coming in late, that would imply the opposite.

Or. . . maybe she was just running late? She still had a habit of doing that from time to time, although not as much as when she had first started working for him 4 years ago. His gaze became unfocused on the paper he was holding, contemplating the likelihood that his 20 year old assistant was just late. Lin looked up from his own dossier.

"Noll? Is everything alright? You've been staring at that page for the last five minutes. Does it look promising?"

"No. Based on what I've read so far, every one of their complaints can be explained by normal occurrences in old homes. I find it difficult to believe that Mai thought this could be an actual case. She even passed it on to Yasuhara for research." he stated dismissively as he handed it off to Lin and pulled another to him.

Lin raised an eyebrow at the vehemence in Noll's voice, but opted not to comment, choosing to peruse the document instead. It only took him a few moments to find the reason Mai had pushed the case further along.

"Noll." Lin called and waited for the younger man to make eye contact with him. "There are two children under the age of ten living in that house. Of course Mai is going to get Yasuhara to research it. She does this with every potential docket involving children on the off-chance that it is paranormal. You know this. And, even if you haven't told her personally, I know you appreciate the dedication she has to those situations. Why are you disparaging her actions now?"

"It is a waste of Yasuhara's time. He could be spending it on other, more pertinent, cases."

"Yasuhara doesn't mind. Cases with children tend to be fairly serious."

"This case is obviously not paranormal. She should have either informed me personally, or left a note that it was not a pressing matter."

"She and Yasuhara went through almost fifty promising dockets yesterday, and left you with detailed research, notes, and, in some instances, building schematics. One file, without notes, should not be the basis of your judgment." There was a beat of silence.

"She's late." Lin paused at his charges statement before hesitantly responding.

"That is why you're calling her actions into question? She's late? Noll, she's late, on average, two to three times a month. You've never gotten this worked up about it before."

"I told her that if she left early yesterday, she had to promise to be on time today. Not only is she late, she is excessively late. Normally her arrival time ranges between three to ten minutes late. She's an hour late."

Lin really studied Noll at this juncture. He hadn't considered how Noll and Mai felt toward each other recently, but with this spike in atypical behavior now seemed like an appropriate time. It was obvious the girl had had some feelings for Noll: her jealousy when she learned that Masako and Noll were "dating" all those years ago; her defiance was her own way to garner his attention, she even asked Madoka about Noll; he thought that was all in the past.

But Noll. . . ? True, he did seem rather hell-bent on keeping her safe, physically and mentally. One of their first cases together she fell down a well and Noll went with her. And he showed her the "magic coin". He protected her again at Yasuhara's school. The infirmary had nearly collapsed on top of the girl, but Noll had intervened. On the Urado case he had gotten her tea. And, ok, yes, Noll did seem to have a habit of calling her by her first name. Though, he had always assumed the informal term was because Mai reminded him so much of Gene.

And his reasons for coming back to Japan had all been true, logical. He had anonymity here. He was able to walk down a busy street without being accosted by fans, or grieving family hoping for closure. And the cases truly were far more interesting; anything from a simple earth-bound spirit to a god-like entity with unearthly power. In the three years they have worked for Martin at BSPR, they had had only one case capable of holding a candle to any of their Japanese cases.

But perhaps, there was a third reason. Noll had seemed more irritable back in England. He was quick to use his intellect to embarrass and put down others as usual, but there was more bite to it than before. He would have thought Noll would be more relaxed after finding and returning his brother's body. But that wasn't true. And he started rejecting some teas outright. But now that they were back. . . Lin's mind spiraled at the implications.

"Noll," dark blue eyes snapped to his. Lin wasn't entirely comfortable with this line of questioning. The man was so focused on work most of the time. "are you. . ahm. . do you have feelings. . . for Mai?"

His eyes flicked to Mai's empty chair at her desk and then back to Lin. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to respond. Lin couldn't remember seeing his friend looking this vulnerable in quite some time. There was a loud bang from the front door nearly hitting the wall and they both whipped their heads in the direction of the noise.

"I'm so sorry I'm late Naru!" Mai cried out as she stumbled into the room. She quickly closed the door and hung her jacket on the coat rack as she continued speaking. "Honestly, I had the worst morning - which you don't want to hear about. Tea! I'll start your tea!" She cut herself off at the look on Noll's face and scampered into the kitchen.

Noll abruptly stood from the commons area and headed straight for his office. His conversation with Lin pushed away now that the topic of the conversation was present. Lin shook his head. He was supposed to be watching Noll; professionally and personally. Especially personally. How could he have missed his charge developing feelings for one of their employees?

The rest of the day surprisingly went without much incident. They interviewed potential clients, took down contact information, researched the cases that required more exploration, and scheduled visits for the cases they had accepted.

It wasn't until late afternoon that the personal drama manifested. As much as Lin and Naru tried to keep the office professional, their employees and consultants didn't comply. Yasuhara and Mai were seated comfortably on one of the couches. Mai facing Yasu with her right arm propped up on the back of the couch and her feet tucked underneath her, while Yasu slouched back into the couch and his head lolled in her direction.

"So Mai, how was your date last night?" A groan from the girl in question preceded her response.

"Never again Yasu! You told me I would have fun!"

"Oh no, no, no Mai! I told you it would be _interesting_! I never mentioned fun." The frustrated growl, the smack of a hand connecting with skin, and the yelped "ouch!" drew both Lin's and Naru's attention. Before either of them could ask what was going on, their front office door opened again.

"Oh Mai-i! You owe me details!"

"Who's got a hug for big brother Houshou?"

"Bou-san!" Mai called out as she scrambled off the couch and threw herself into his awaiting arms, hugging him fiercely. He'd been gone for two weeks with his band, and while they had been able to talk on the phone and video Skype a handful of times, she'd still missed him terribly.

"Hey you creepy old man! Let her go! Its girl time, and I need all the juicy gossip about her date!"

"What date?" Houshou demanded as Mai groaned, hid her face against his chest, and shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it. It's embarrassing." She finally answered her cajoling friends as she pulled away. She sat down on a cushy armchair, wrapping her arms around her shins, and resting her chin on her knees.

By this point she had the attention of everyone in the office.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No! It just. . . wasn't. . . a good date."

"I really am sorry Mai. He saw you talking to me a couple months ago, and he really wanted a chance with you. I told him all I could do was talk to you about the possibility."

"Its fine Yasu." She sighed before looking at the three sitting across from her. A small smirk crossed her face. "You all are going to sit there staring at me until I talk, aren't you?" Three heads nodded simultaneously.

"Fine!"

Ayako shrieked at her consenting statement "Yes! Details! Details! What made it a bad date? Was he a bad kisser? What was his name? What does he do? Was he at least cute? What did you guys do last night? "

During Ayako's excited questioning, Naru had made his way to the threshold of his door and was leaning against the door jamb. Mai just rolled her eyes.

"His name is Hiro Yamada. He's a student at the Osaka University of Economics and Law. I guess he's cute? We went to dinner at a fairly inexpensive restaurant, where he used coupons to get a discount. The entire time we were there he asked me about my stance on people starting families in their early twenties, what I thought of children, and where I saw myself living in five to ten years. Then he took me to a lecture about monopolies and oligopolies, and we finished the night by watching a documentary on macro versus micro economics. I don't know how I stayed awake, but honestly I don't remember even half of the lecture, and I completely zoned out in the first three minutes of the documentary. Oh, and I don't know if he's a bad kisser; I didn't give him the opportunity." Silence reigned for a few minutes. Not even the sound of laptop keys clacking could be heard. She glanced at Lin's office to see the man exiting and heading for the kitchen. He lifted an empty mug as his excuse for leaving his office.

"Did he bring you flowers?"

"Nope."

"He asked about starting a family? And having kids?"

"He used coupons on the first date?!" exploded out of Ayako before Mai could answer Monks questions. "Of all the cheap, easy ways to save a buck! Don't get me wrong, I understand trying to save money when you're still taking classes, but using coupons on the first date is just plain tacky!"

"Well, he did still insist on paying for everything. I tried to offer to pay for myself when he mentioned the coupons." But Ayako was too busy ranting about first date rules and etiquette to listen to Mai defend the boy. Mai began to smile. She too had thought it a bit tasteless for some to use a coupon on a first date, and had been berating herself for being judgmental since last night. Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought it was done in poor taste, and that made her feel better.

"I can't believe he didn't get you flowers! I even told him your favorites! And when I told him you liked movies I did not mean documentaries."

"Well, he was polite! And nice! He didn't have to get me flowers, Yasu. I wasn't expecting them."

Monk interjected before it could continue. "Mai, you said it was a bad date; that you were bored out of your mind. Why are you defending him?"

"Because he isn't a bad guy! No, honestly! He was polite, almost to a fault, and kind. Although, he did talk mostly about economics and how important they are in day to day life. He's just. . . not for me. I'm sure someone else would have enjoyed that evening with him. It just wasn't to my taste. The way Yasu talked him up," she shot him a glare, "I expected to be wowed. Romanced. So it just. . . fell flat."

"Does that mean you're going to give him another chance?" Yasu questioned with a smirk.

"No." Mai stated firmly. "Just because I won't let you guys rake him over the coals, doesn't mean I think he and I are compatible."

"Only you Mai, would have one of the worst dates and still defend the boy. You're too nice sometimes." Ayako shook her head as she smiled affectionately.

"Thanks? I guess? Anyone want something to drink? Naru's going to be wanting another cup of tea soon, so I can make you guys something." She stated while she stood up and stretched. They all called out what they wanted, and then went back to discussing the date.

"Look on the bright side Mai; at least it wasn't a date Big Boss planned! It would be completely planned out to a T! Oh, no wait! His idea of a good date would probably be a case!" Yasu called out.

"True!" Mai giggled with a light blush dusting her cheeks. She made her way to the kitchen to make drinks. "What do you think: a case in an old mansion? Or an abandoned mine?"

"I know what romance is Mai." Naru's defense from where he leaned against his office door frame went unheard by all except Lin because of Monk's hooting comment.

"Don't forget the tea though! A date with Naru would definitely include Mai's tea!"

"Honestly, Naru's such a workaholic, he wouldn't even know how to plan a date, let alone a romantic one." Ayako interjected quietly.

"Don't be stupid, Mai." came Yasu's nearly flawless impersonation of their boss, "a romantic date with me would include a blood thirsty demon because it would be after your sweet heart."

The whole group burst into laughter at such a ridiculous, nonsensical statement coming from a voice sounding so much like their boss.

"You want to know if I can be romantic? Fine!" Naru stormed out of his doorway and stalked to Mai. Her eyes went wide when she realized he'd been listening to their conversation the whole time. He snatched her hand in his, intertwining their fingers as he stated "Handholding is romantic! I see couples do it quite frequently."

The front room they were all occupying was suddenly silent, but he continued as if the others weren't there.

"Staring into each other's eyes is romantic!" and he did just that. His normally cool, uninterested eyes were boring into hers with a deep intensity; as if he was trying to read her thoughts. Her breath caught in her throat; she'd seen this look a handful of times, but only just. Whenever he'd stare at her and she caught him, he would quickly look at something else.

"Let's see, what else? Kissing! Kissing is supposed to be romantic." And he quickly bent and placed his lips to hers.

At first that's all it was; a gentle touch of lips on lips; simple. It did not stay that way. Mai could feel the moment he realized what he had done. His stiff posture went lax and his grip on her hand tightened slightly. She expected him to pull away and go back to his office. Perhaps if her eyes had been open she would have seen the enjoyment on his face, however, she did not so what he did next absolutely surprised her.

His unoccupied hand gravitated to her waist, pulling her body up and flush with his so he wasn't leaning over as much. She stumbled a bit when he did, tripping forward due to the unanticipated movement, and her free hand landed on his hand holding her's guided it to his shoulder, placed it there and then moved to nestle in her hair at the back of her head. His mouth pressed more firmly against hers, feverishly against her, encouraging her to become an active participant.

She couldn't stop the contented sigh that slipped through her nose as the kiss continued. Quick electrical sparks shot from points of contact with Naru. From his mouth, moving in furious tandem with hers, to his hands guiding her jaw for a new angle of kiss, tendrils of electricity danced under her skin and she felt like a live wire.

Her skin was flushed as Naru slowed the kiss gradually stopping it, his forehead touching hers. He surprised her again. Instead of pulling away completely, he pressed his lips to hers repeatedly in a series of short but intimate and affectionate kisses. He finally finished when he snagged her bottom lip between his teeth, and tugged for a few seconds before he released it.

They both worked to regulate their breathing before opening their eyes. Mai, still catching her breath, watched as Naru's eyes tracked from her eyes to her mouth back to her eyes, and then scanned the rest of her face before settling on hers again. The back of his fingers grazed her cheek and then tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Romantic enough for you?"

A dazed but pleased "Mhmm." was really all she could get out, so she nodded her head for good measure.

"Dang Big Boss! If that's you're pre-date romance game, your dates are gonna blow everything else out of the water!" The front door slammed shut as Mai and Naru whipped their heads that direction. It seemed that their friends had made a hasty retreat once Naru's instincts had taken over.

Mai was blushing when Naru looked back at her. He raised an eyebrow in question. "I can't believe they just saw that!" she hissed at him.

"Well they better get used to it. I plan on being able to kiss my girlfriend when I want to."

"You girlfriend? You haven't even asked me out! We've never been on a date! And don't I get a say in whether or not we kiss in front of people? Personally, I think it's rude! Public displays of affection tend to make people very uncomfortable. Why do you think they all left?"

"Mai." Naru got her attention before she could continue her rant. "Are you doing anything this evening?"

"Were you even listening to me? I want to know if you - wait, are you. . . Naru, are you asking me . . . on a date?"

"I am trying to. It would help the process if you'd answer my question."

"Oh. No, I'm not doing anything."

"Good. Let's go." And he snatched her hand, pulling her towards the door. "Lin, I expect you lock up!" He shouted to the office without turning around to actually check that the tall chinese man was still present.

"What?!" Mai nearly squawked. "We're going on a date right now? I haven't changed! Or put on any make-up! I'm wearing tennis shoes! Naru are you listening?"


End file.
